Railway-crossing signal



Nov. 23 1926.

T. 5. JOHNSON RAILWAY caossme SIGNAL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Filed Sept. 10. 1924 (QM/M jawd- Nov. 23 192 6. I 1,608,025

I T. S. JOHNSON RAILWAY CROSSING SIGNAL Filed Sept. 10, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 flwzzzasflefoimsom .INVENTOR ATTOINIY Patented Nov. 23, 1926.

UNITED STATES T "or-F1 cE THOMAS S. JOHNSON, .OFJMORRIS,"ILLINQIS.

RAILWAY r CROSSI NG; SIGNAL,

Application filed September 10,1924. Serial -No. 736,934.

This invention relates to signaling devices for use at railway crossings to warn persons of danger from approaching trains, the purpose being to provide a simple, dependable,

and efiicient device of this character that is fully automatic in its operation and that may be installed and maintained at relaj tively low cost.

Briefly stated, the improved device conthat the structure shown is merely intended as a disclosure of the invention in acertain preferred form, and that Various changes and desirable additionsmay bemade in; and,

to the same withintheqspiritand scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein like characters of referencedenote corresponding parts in the diiierent viewsf Figure l is a plan View showing'a signal and the'improvedmechanism for operating same; I

Figure 2is an elevation of operating mechanism therefor, asshown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the circuit closing-parts of the signalroperating mechanism;

Figure 1 is an elevation of the parts shown in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a sectionon the line 5-5 of Figure 2; and I Figure 6is a perspective of the circuit opening parts of the fmechan S In the present instance, the signal formingpart ofthe device is inthe form-of a sign '10 .whi'ch1maybezof any des red design intendedto attract attention, particusists of a signal, either audible, visual or the signal and larly when it isflilluminated intermittently, and, as is understood, this sign is to-belocated at a suitable point along a highi'vay adjacent to its point of crossing-the railway tracks indicated at 11.

An electric light bulb 12 is provided for illuminating sign "l0 and, as shown, one terminal of said bulb is connected by a conductor 13 with one pole ofa battery 1 1, while its other terminal isconnected by a conductor 15 to a :resilient arm 16*rising ffromla base'17, on which is mounted a motor 18. 'Theupper end ofarm 16 is terminated contacts a second resilient arm'20 also rising from the base 17, 21111120 extending across a shaft 21 geared to motor 18 and being adapted for engagement by a cam 22. on shaft2l, so that as the latter rotates, arm 20 will be moved by said cam out of contact with arm 16, and when said cam passes by arm 20, the latter will springbackinto contact with arm l6. Arm 20 is connected by a conductor 28 with an armj241 secured at another location on base 17 and-held by its I inherent resiliency normally out of contact with another varm 25 also secured' to the base. V

Adjacent to arms 2el 25jismounted. the

mechanism for initiating.operation of motor lSand also for placing light bulb 12 in and out of circuit with battery 14:,said mecha ,nism consisting ofamagnet 26 mounted on a standard or support 27 :abovebase 17, and havingicooperat'ing therewith an armature 28,;the latter including a vertically disposed armpivoted intermedi'ately, asat 29, to a support 30 rising 'fromthe base 17, and, I below said pivot, being curved :or'bowed in the direction ofthemagnet, as clearly shown .at. 31, in Figures 3 and 1.01 the drawings, (the weight of arm.28 being. so distributed that normally it fallsaway from magnet 26,

- or, if ipreferred the same result may be accomplished by 3 means v of a light, spring or in any other. su table manner. V

Mounted lna bearlngc32 on thebase 17 for rotationon anaxisjat right angles to the axis ofpivotV29,;1s an;-actuatorc rod 33,

the innerendport on of which isiextended in a lateral offset :19, with which normally upwardly, thence laterally towards bowed portion 31 of arm 28, and finally is terminated in a downwardly extending extremity 34. The outer end of this rod is extended upwardly as at 35 and, adjacent to said extension 35, is provided with a cross arm 36 having a spring or springs 37 associated therewith, whereby the extension normally is maintained vertically disposed. Extension 35 is arranged in juxtaposition to tracks 11 so as to be engaged by a portion of a locomotive or car passing by the same, whereby it will be moved downwardly to rotate rod 33 and swing its inner extremity 34 against bowed portion 31 of armature 23 whereby the armature will be swung on its pivot 29 into effective relation to magnet 26.

Secured to base 17 is an inherently resilient arm 38 including a portion 39 that underlies the lower edge of bowed portion 31 and normally is spaced therefrom, but is adapted to contact therewith under the ac tuating influence ofrod 33 when armature 28 is rocked on its pivot 29. Portion 39 also is extended to overlie arm 24, so that the latter will be moved into contact with arm upon downward movement being imparted to portion 39 by portion 31 of armature 28 after contact has been efiected between parts 31 and 39.

A conductor 40 connects one terminal of magnet 26 with arm 24 and another conductor 41 connects the other terminal of said magnet through support 30, with armature 28, while a conductor 42 leads from armature 38 to motor 18 and thence to a fuse 43 and from said fuse to an arm 44, suitably mounted near the tracks 11 at a point beyond the crossing the device is intended to guard. Adjacent to arm 44 is mounted a second arm 45 maintained by its inherent resiliency normally in contact with arm 44. A conductor 46 leads from arm 45 either through conductor 13 or through a separate conductor 47 as herein shown to the same terminal of the battery to which conductor13 is connected.

A rod 48 is mounted in a bearing 49 adj acent to arms 44, 45 and at its inner end is provided with an angula-rly disposed terminal portion 50 adapted to engage arm 45 and move same out of contact with arm 44 when the rod is rotated, said rod being provided at its outer end with an upstanding portion 51 adapted to be engaged by a portion of a train after the latter has passed the crossing whereby to rotate the rod and eiiect separation of the arms 44, 45. Rod 48, like rod 33, is provided with a cross arm and springs to hold its portion 51 normally in position to be struck and depressed by a portion of a passing train.

From the other terminal of battery 44, a conductor 52 leads to arm 25, from which it will be seen that when rod 33 is rotated,

as, for example, when a projecting portion on the locomotive strikes part 35 and swings same downward, contact is made between the arn'is 2425 completing a circuit from battery 14 through conductor 13 to light bulb 12, from said bulb through conductor 15, arms 16, 20, conductor 23, arms 24 and 25 and conductor 52 back to the other terminal of the battery. This may be termed the light circuit. 7

At the same time the light circuit is closed, another circuit through the magnet 26 and motor 18 is also closed, said latter circuit beginning at one terminal of the battery and leading, for example, through conductor 47 to arm 45, from arm 45 to arm 44, thence through conductor 42 to the fuse and motor 18 to arm 33, through arm 38 to the armature, from the armature through conductor 41 to the magnet, from the magnet through conductor 40 to arm 24, through arm 24 to arm 25 and finally to the other terminal of the battery through conductor 52.

As a consequence of the foregoing arrangement, whenever part 35 is trippedto efiect closing of the circuits as aforementioned, the armature acts to hold arms 24, 25 in engagement, and thus maintains its own circuit as well as the light circuit and the circuit to the motor. Immediately the circuits are closed the motor begins to rotate shaft 21 with the result that cam 22 acting on arm 20 intermittently makes and breaks the light circuit causing the sign to blink as is manifest. This continues until a train passes the crossing and actuates rod 48 to cause a separation of arms 44, 45, when immediately the circuit to the motor and magnet is broken and armature 28 falls away from the magnet, allowing arm 24 to spring up from arm 25 and thus breaking the light circuit, whereupon the mechanism again is in normal position ready for actuation by another approaching train.

From the foregoing description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is believed that the con struction, operation and advantages of the device will be clearly understood.

I claim A signaling device for railway crossings comprising an electrically operated signal element, a source of current connected in circuit with said element, a motor operated interrupter in the circuit connection to said element, a main control switch also included in said circuit connection, said control switch including an electro-magnet, an upstanding armature for said magnet pivoted on a horizontal axis and arranged normally to swing by gravity out of contact with the magnet core, a pivoted crank arm connected to actuate the armature in one direction and having a part in the path of the Wheel flanges of a moving train, a pair of Contact arms one above the other and arranged to be pressed into contact With each other, means actuated by the movement of the lower end of said armature to close the circuit through said arms, one of said contact arms being connected to the source of current and the other in circuit with the cuit With the interrupter and said signal element.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature.

THOMAS S. JOHNSON. 

